The present invention generally pertains to solar ponds and is particularly directed to insulating layers for deep solar ponds.
Deep solar ponds are characterized by a bottom layer of a heat absorbing fluid covered by an insulating layer that is transparent to solar radiation. The pond typically has a dark bottom, which is heated by solar radiation, whereby the bottom layer of heat absorbing fluid is heated by convection of heat from the bottom. The insulating layer retards loss of heat from the bottom layer of heat absorbing fluid into the atmosphere.
In one prior art solar pond, the insulating layer is formed of a viscous gel floating on top of the heat absorbing fluid of the bottom layer in order to inhibit convection near the upper surface of the pond. This technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,179 to Wilkins et al.